A court ruling has cleared the way for the city of Cincinnati to enforce its Responsible Bidder ordinance.
In early January, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling of a lower court, paving the way for the city to require contractors to have graduated at least one employee from a registered apprenticeship program every year for the last five years.
Allied Construction Industries, a not-for-profit construction trades group for non-union contractors, sued the city, saying the ordinance was a way to ensure only union signatory contractors could successfully bid on contracts.
SMW Local 24 Business Representatives Mark Hamant and Jeff Mueller and Organizer Dean Lacey attended the ruling on Cincinnati’s Responsive Bidder ordinance.
Proponents of the ordinance, which included the Laborers’ International Union of North America and Democrats on city council, applied the legislation to the massive Metropolitan Sewer District project and argued it would lead to a more skilled and trained workforce, who will receive fair health and retirement benefits.
In the ruling, the court said, “The city has a strong proprietary interest in developing a skilled workforce for its many future projects.” The court also wrote the, “city is acting as would a private party by seeking a contractor that meets certain specifications, aimed toward the efficient procurement of its own goods and services.”
By creating the ordinance, the city understood that a registered apprenticeship program produces a construction worker who works efficiently and can help save time and money on the jobsite.
Members of the Greater Cincinnati Building and Construction Trades Council, which includes Sheet Metal Workers Local 24, provides their contractors with apprentices and journeymen, who receive upgrade training to ensure their safety on the jobsite and help them work more efficiently by instructing them on the latest industry technology and processes.
The ruling helps members of Cincinnati-area unions including Sheet Metal Workers Local 24, by creating jobs for tradesmen and tradeswomen. Their members receive livable wages, plus good health and retirement benefits. They are proud to live and work in the region they call home.
Sheet Metal Workers Local 24 provides their contractors highly skilled and highly trained sheet metal professionals, who can help the city meet their construction needs by finishing projects on time and on or under budget.
Anyone interested in learning more about a career in sheet metal can click here to get more information on the benefits of becoming a member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 24.